"Hey, Vita. How are you holding up?"
Rowan's head peeked into my view as I stared at the ceiling. I nodded slowly, unwilling to voice how afraid I truly felt.
"You look terrible, Vita." Rowan wasn't fooled. "Did you sleep at all last night?"
I shook my head. How could I? Fear had kept my eyes wide open, no matter how exhausted I was. What if it came back…?
"Alright," he sighed. "You need to stay in bed, kid. Rest properly. You didn't sleep during the Cliff Hollow job either, right? When's the last time you closed your eyes? Thirty hours? Forty? This isn't good for you."
I did want to sleep—my body ached with exhaustion. But there was something I needed to know first.
"Where's Linn?" I asked quietly.
"I don't know," Rowan said, shrugging off his sleep-worn clothes and pulling on something cleaner. "But I have an idea. I'll go find her. You stay here and rest—don't follow me."
I frowned but nodded. Rowan wasn't giving me a choice. After dressing, he stretched and headed toward the wooden board we used as a door.
"Alright kids, I'm stepping out. Behave while I'm gone."
For a moment, I almost called him back—to keep me company, to hold me if that thing returned. But I couldn't. He had to help Linn. I clutched Roscoe tightly against my chest, forcing myself not to tremble.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" I asked.
"... Yeah, Vita." He said, though hesitation lingered in his voice. "I think she will. Probably just got caught in the rain somewhere. We'll be back before you know it. Just rest, alright?"
I nodded.
"Okay."
He nodded too, then left, leaving me with the others. I grabbed a spare shirt to cover my eyes from the dim light. Holding Roscoe close, wrapped in blankets and cloak, I lay down to rest. And waited… until drowsiness finally took me…
Colors shifted, vibrant and endless—a radiant, ever-changing rainbow. Warm, vast, pulsing like a heart; filled with kindness and light. These were two souls I knew so well. No one had ever treated me like Linn and Rowan did. They fed me, helped me, accepted me. For nothing. I remembered the day I insisted on helping them—two weeks ago. The surprise on their faces. The fire they lit within me. Before that, I had been nothing. Survival was all I had—and even that barely. But they filled the emptiness inside me.
I imagined what my soul must have looked like before that day. Small, weak, dark. A void of despair. Now, still small and dim—but a flicker of light pulsed within, like lightning through clouds. It was growing. One day, maybe that spark would break free—and I wouldn't recognize who I'd become.
Another soul floated inside me—grayish, tinged with red. Dead, fragmented, lifeless. Though large, it felt wrong. Still, I knew how tempting it was. When I turned people into resources, I only cared about the size of their soul…
I wanted more. I was too weak! My body, my soul—both hollow. I couldn't help it. I had to eat! I pulled the stored soul from my arm and devoured it hungrily. The children asked what I was doing—I killed them too, tore their lives away. Souls everywhere! Then Linn and Rowan returned—I was waiting. Their zombies wouldn't stand a chance, their hearts too soft. I consumed them too, forever…
I woke screaming, soaked in sweat. That dream… I hadn't done it! Had I?
I scanned the room frantically. The children were safe. The soul I had taken yesterday remained intact within me. Linn and Rowan…
"Go downstairs," one child said, startling me. Downstairs!? Oh gods, had I really—
"...Linn and Rowan said to come find them below when you woke up. To the hidden place," he added.
Right. Of course. I scolded myself for misunderstanding. I pushed the nightmare aside, trembling as I stood. Everyone was fine. I was fine. I reached the ladder, realizing I was still clinging to Roscoe. Might as well bring him. If Linn and Rowan saw him, it wouldn't matter.
They were easy to spot—sitting close together, Linn leaning on Rowan. Rowan looked drained, slumped over, clearly upset and confused. Linn looked worse—bloodied, swollen face, bruises blooming across her skin like ink spilled on parchment. Whatever wounds she bore beneath her armor were likely worse.
"Hey, Vita." Her voice was hoarse as I descended. "How'd you sleep, kid?"
I swallowed. Not well—but this wasn't the time to say so.
"...What happened to you?"
She laughed—a strange sound, pained yet genuine.
"One of our jobs went sideways. The partners weren't happy. Doesn't look as bad as it feels, kid."
"I'm not a child!" I snapped instinctively.
"Right, right. Sorry, Vita."
She tried to smile, but blood smeared her lips, missing teeth.
A surge of anger rose in me—this wasn't fair. Linn was good . Who dared hurt her? I'd tear them apart.
...No. No, I was just a child. I could do nothing. The fury died as quickly as it came. I was powerless, clueless, and had promised Rowan I'd be careful. I had to handle this carefully.
But I would settle the score. Eventually.
For now, something more pressing demanded attention. I stepped forward and gently hugged her. Despite her injuries, her soul was warm, bright.
"What really happened?" I whispered.
"Just like I told you, kid," she shrugged. "We messed up a job. Our partner got angry. Not as bad as it looks."
I pulled back, fixing her with a determined stare—even if I held a stuffed toy, the intensity in my gaze didn't waver.
"I'm not a child. Don't hide things from me. I want to help."
Linn and Rowan exchanged glances.
"...Vita, I don't think you can help with this," Rowan said honestly.
"I can help a lot," I refused to yield. "I may not be strong now, may not know much. Not yet. But I can help. I will . You've helped me for a whole year. Let me repay you. And... if you won't let me help, I'll go figure things out on my own!"
Rowan opened his mouth to protest—
"Forget it, Rowan," Linn interrupted. "Vita, Rowan and I owe a debt. We work for the Blackfangs to keep this place safe—to protect the kids from worse thugs. Yesterday's job went bad because I was late. Our boss…" She scratched the back of her head, wincing, "...wasn't pleased. Should heal in a week or so. You know how those guys love flexing power."
She smiled again, coughing violently moments later, spitting blood onto her sleeve.
"Don't worry, kid. Really. I hate getting beaten up, but it is what it is. You've been through stuff like this, right?"
"When someone tried to kill me," I said coldly, "I killed him instead."
Rowan tensed, but I continued before he could speak.
"At the time, I wanted to kill him. Truly. He nearly beat me to death. I saw how much he hated me. Saw how little he cared for my suffering. His cruel, disgusting face. I saw how much he wanted me dead… and I decided—I had to make sure he died first."
I locked eyes with them both. They stayed silent, listening—something they'd never heard from me before. I wasn't sure I'd ever spoken like this before.
"It's why I discovered what I am," I pressed on. "Now, every time I touch you, I feel your souls. In my dreams, I see myself consuming yours. I'm terrified, Linn. I don't want to be a killer. I don't want to become a monster. But you can't tell me you deserved this beating. You can't say you don't want revenge. And you can't say life wouldn't be better if we could escape them."
The room fell into long, heavy silence, broken only by Linn's ragged cough.
"...You really think about this a lot, huh, kid?" she muttered once she caught her breath.
"I'm not a kid!" I snapped.
"Yeah," she agreed softly. "Guess you aren't anymore."
"You're asking what you can do to help," Rowan said, rubbing his stubble. "But let me remind you—if you use your magic openly, you're signing your death warrant. Most criminals would report you to the Temple Knights the second they saw it. No one dares mess with soulbinding, Vita."
"But we dare!" I countered.
"You got guts, kid," Linn teased, "with all that food in your belly. But seriously, this question's important. What exactly do you plan to do?"
I frowned, deep in thought—not because I had no ideas, but because I had too many, none fully formed.
"Did you figure out why the Temple Knight approached you yet, Rowan?" I asked.
"Huh?" Linn gasped, eyes widening. "Temple Knight?"
"Not yet," Rowan said, narrowing his eyes. Was he hiding this from her? "It was today's chaos, Vita. Linn, some knight dropped hints about offering me a job—I still don't know why."
"You have to find out why," I insisted.
Rowan leaned back with a sigh. "If it weren't for you dragging around that tiny necromancer soul of yours, I might already know! Look, you being near them is dangerous enough without you insisting on tagging along."
I narrowed my eyes. "Don't stop investigating just because of me. We don't even know if Temple Knights can detect zombies. The last one talked to us while I had another soul inside me—and noticed nothing. So yes, I can't raise armies, but I can grow stronger."
Rowan sighed—half in frustration, half in reluctant understanding.
"Vita… if you don't want to become a monster, why keep thinking about devouring souls?"
I inhaled deeply, ready to share my first wild idea.
"What if I go outside the city walls for souls?"
"What! " Linn and Rowan shouted in unison.
"Vita, that's insane!" Linn exclaimed. "You'd die the second you step outside. You have no idea how dangerous the monsters out there are."
"Hunters go out there," I argued. "I could join the Hunter's Guild."
"Hunters die too," Rowan countered. "And even I struggle by their standards. They'd kick you out the second they saw you—no weapons, no armor, no skills. Even if the guild is desperate for recruits, they wouldn't take you."
"I can get gear," I replied. "I can hide my abilities. You said the monsters out there are strong—and have souls. Eating those isn't wrong, right? They're not people. I know it's risky, but it makes me stronger. Once I'm strong enough, I can come back and help you."
Linn shook her head. Rowan rubbed his stubble, concern deepening.
"This is reckless," he said. "And we don't know if eating monster souls even works. But yeah… strength rarely comes without risk. If you have a better idea, I'm all ears."
I nodded. Whether good or not, I had another.
"Do you know two men? Squeegs and Friggs?"
Linn's expression darkened instantly.
"How do you know them?" she asked.
"A few days ago, I ran into them. I saw them kill someone. I provoked them. They even offered me a deal. …Back when I was starving, I didn't hold back words."
"They're professional killers, Vita," Linn warned.
I nodded.
"I guessed. If I joined them, I could grow stronger fast."
"You can't become an assassin!" Linn cried.
"Why not?" I shot back. "I'm a necromancer, Linn! I wield death magic! You said this is part of me! How else am I supposed to survive? Besides, assassins kill anyway. If I became one, I could eliminate other killers. Make this city safer."
Linn shook her head, sorrowful.
"Vita, please don't think like that. Even killers have people who care for them. Every life lost is a tragedy."
I scoffed—maybe true, but not comforting. Did Gregor's family miss him? I didn't know. But if someone beat me for burning bread, I wouldn't mourn them.
"I have another idea," I admitted. "Join the Blackfangs with you. Work from the inside. I could help. Together, we could change things. Overthrow them."
"Absolutely not!" Rowan snapped. "Vita, you're overestimating yourself. Where are these ideas coming from? You're not a criminal mastermind. You're not trained. You're a sixteen-year-old girl we struggle to feed. The Blackfang leader crushed rebellions before breakfast. You'd walk in blind, used, discarded. Maybe not even alive."
"So what do you expect me to do?" I shouted, trembling. "Do nothing ? I'm tired of doing nothing! Tired of watching them take everything you earn, Rowan! Watching Linn get hurt! You can't stop me from doing what I want. So, will you help me or not?"
Silence. Only my labored breathing echoed in the cellar.
Linn exhaled.
"I said it before, and I'll say it again. Vita, whatever you decide, I've got your back. You're our family. If this is something you must do… you don't need to ask, kid. I'll help."
"I'm not a chil—"
"I know," she cut me off. "Vita. You grew up too fast."
Rowan sighed.
"...So which path do you choose? None of these plans sit well with me, but pick the one you prefer."
"Isn't it obvious?" I said. "Rowan, I made you a promise."
Rowan raised an eyebrow. Linn watched curiously.
"I promised I wouldn't lose myself. I don't want to grow stronger by killing. I want to help people. Hunters do that, right? They band together, protect others. They're heroes."
Linn grinned.
"You're telling me this while hugging a stuffed bird, and you expect me to stop calling you 'kid'?" she teased.
I scowled. "Don't drag Roscoe into this."
Linn laughed hard enough to cough again. Rowan simply shook his head.
"Things aren't that simple, Vita. Never are. No one, no group is purely good or evil. The Hunter's Guild has its own politics, its own conflicts."
"…But they're not assassins. Not gangsters, right?" I pressed. Rowan gave in.
"No, Vita. They're not. You're right. But getting you into the Guild will take effort. We'll have to prepare. You need to eat more—look less like a walking corpse."
I frowned.
"I don't want to steal food from others."
"We'll manage," Rowan assured. "I'll get you supplies. I'll teach you tricks."
"I should learn to sense danger like Linn does," I added. "You said I might have that talent."
Linn smirked.
"Sure! I'll try teaching you. Can't promise I'll be any good at it. But I've got nothing else to do while healing."
"Good. Try now," I urged. "Can you sense anything different about me? Something strange?"
She tilted her head, studying me.
"My danger sense is always active. You feel the same as usual. Why?"
I forced the stolen human soul from my arm into my palm.
"Now? Anything?"
Linn shook her head.
"Still the same… Vita."
"Then watch closely."
With a deep breath, I swallowed the soul.
Their eyes widened.
"Wait… you were holding a soul ?" Linn asked.
"I told you I met those two assassins," I reminded them. "This was the victim's."
Rowan blinked.
"You were going to eat it?"
I hesitated. Why not?
"It becomes part of me. It helps me grow stronger."
"So… the person lives inside you now?" Rowan asked.
"No," I shook my head. "They're dead. The soul gets digested."
"Then… they can't move on to the afterlife?" he asked.
I tightened my grip on Roscoe.
"I don't know. Maybe they return when I die? Or eventually re-form. I can't ruin the cycle completely, right?"
I hoped. Hoped desperately.
Rowan scratched his beard.
"Mm… I guess that makes sense. Alright, run your experiment."
I nodded, looking to Linn. She hesitated, then nodded too. I opened my mouth and swallowed the soul.
A wave of pure, digesting power surged through me. This was the best "meal" since Gregor. I felt calmer, clearer.
"Yep," Linn murmured. "Definitely felt that. Subtle, but real. You're stronger."
I nodded. So much for sneaking extra meals past danger-sense users.
"I want to test something else."
I extended my hand, focusing. Four inches from Linn's skin—I felt it. That warmth, that beauty.
"...Twice as far as before," I whispered. "The more souls I consume, the better I sense them."
Linn raised an eyebrow.
"You still need my lessons?"
"She needs them," Rowan said. "Power alone isn't enough. Technique matters. If Vita learns to use this, instead of just brute-forcing it, she'll be stronger than any soul-eater."
"Fine," I agreed. "But can you get me animal souls too?"
He sighed.
"Of course."
I hugged Rowan tightly. He awkwardly accepted. I had a plan now. Training. Learning. Consuming. Growing. When I was strong enough to face anything… the Hunter's Guild would wait.
I never imagined finding legitimate work. And yet, here I was—chasing it, born from forbidden magic.